“A day spent without the sight and sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search of truth or perfection is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.” ~Lewis Mumford

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sharing is Caring

Share good news and bad news with those you trust. I think sometimes we neglect to share the good with the bad when we talk to certain important people. I have a friend, Kevin (a.k.a. Broface), and when I feel anxious or depressed, I want to talk to him. He hears about everything I feel that may be negative and would like to expel forever from my life. However, I make it a point to tell him the good things in my life as well. We cannot use people as emotaional trashcans. When someone’s important to you, share all important news. Ask them about their important news. By remembering to include good things happening in your life, you can see that your life isn’t so bad and the other person won’t feel that they are just “the person I go to dump all my problems on.” That’s a big burden to carry, so lighten the load for both of you. (Elein Dodge, my favorite person of all time--http://yourbiggestfan30.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/“what-makes-loneliness-an-anguish-is-not-that-i-have-no-one-to-share-my-burden-but-this-i-have-only-my-own-burden-to-bear-”-dag-hammarskjold/)

So I definitely am not very good at this, but as I have more recently been improving (drastically, if I may brag a bit), I can see what a drastic change it has made in my life. I love to help others, but I feel like a burden when I'm on the other end--but that's okay! The fact that you share your burden with someone else, may in fact help that other person in the end!--true story, it's happened with me a thousand times. That's why we are all here together--to strengthen and lift one another. It's a pretty ingenious system if you really think about it.

In BYU WSR February Newsletter, this is one of the TOP things you can do to beat the winter blues, and find happiness in life all together!

Share your feelings with someone you trust.

In this blue place, it is common to try to avoid negative emotions

and you may even feel associated shame and embarrassment. Try

reaching out and sharing your experience with someone you trust

and who will validate your feelings.

So open up--and empathetically listen to others as they open up to you.